9180 Birds. 
sidered African, Musophaga africana, Porphyrio Alleni and Procellaria 
mollis*; while fows are given which are common and peculiar to the 
neighbouring Atlantic islands, Fringilla butyracea, F.Tintillon, Cypselus 
unicolor and Columba Trocaz. To these latter may probably be added 
Anthus Berthelotii, first distinguished by Dr. Bolle (Ibis, 1862, pp. 
$43—348, and Journ. f. Orn., 1862, pp. 8357—360) as distinct from 
A. pratensis, under which name he supposes that it figures in Mr. 
Vernon Harcourt’s list, and making therefore five species which are 
not inhabitants of other parts of the world. There is besides one 
species which, as far as is known, is confined to Madeira only, Regulus 
maderensis.t ‘The remaining eighty-nine have never been accounted 
otherwise than identical with European species. 
It is a very true remark of that prince of observers in Natural 
History, Gilbert White, that “that district produces the greatest 
variety which is the most examined.” Hence I cannot but infer that the 
species of birds to be found in the Madeiras are much more numerous 
than even Mr. Vernon Harcourt’s catalogue shows. I have the greater. 
confidence in this belief from information given me by a gentleman 
resident in those islands. He told me he had himself, though paying 
no particular attention to the subject, met with several species, of 
which he did not know the names, not included in that list. Islands 
situated at a distance from other lands seem to be much resorted to by 
birds that, in the course of their periodical migrations, have gone astray ; 
and it only requires the constant presence of a good watchman to 
secure these stragglers and record their occurrence. This | believe to 
be the chief reason for the otherwise unaccountable richness of the 
Ornithology of an isolated rock, like Heligoland. Now, unfortunately, 
the Madeiras do not possess a Herr Giitke: as far as I am able to 
learn, they have not a single ornithologist permanently resident and 
always on the look out for a novelty. Ornithologists, and some of 
them good ones, have visited the island, nay, have passed perhaps 
many seasons there; but their powers of observation have often been 
limited by other causes. They have either been invalids themselves, 
* This species, although figured by Mr. Gould in his ‘ Birds of Australia’ (vol. vii. 
pl. 50), probably only occurs in Australian waters as a straggler. It is stated by him 
to be “ very abundant from the 20th to the 40th degrees of S. lat.” (Ann. and Mag. Nat. 
Hist., vol. xiii. p.364). Its only known breeding place, as far as I am aware, is on the 
Dezertas, whence my friend Dr. R. T. Frere has had many specimens. 
+ Mr. Darwin appears to have overlooked this decidedly distinct species, when he 
states (‘Origin of Species,’ p. 391) that “ Madeira does not possess one peculiar 
bird.” 
is 
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